The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-09-13
AT THE STAKE.

over 90. You can figger that up ana SEQ
how long I've been skirmishing with In
dams, grizzlies, panthers, rattlcsnakes
and the other pcsky varmints OF noun
tain, plain and prairie. There hasn't
been an Indian war for the last half CEN
fury that haven't had hand in, and l
reckon I've had as many stand up fights
on my own hook as any scout or hunter
? YOU can name. ! have been captured
and put TO the torture twice, and been
captured and got away without torture
three or four times In times of peace !
have lived with the Pawnees, kiowas,
Apaches, Sioux, Cheyennes and Black
feet, and in times of war have fought
all these tribes. Mebbe / am, therefore,
purity good Judge of Indian natur', and
when you ask me which tribe of redskins
has the most homer, reply that | Dever
vet saw an Indian that / would trust
rod. The only reason that some OF EN-
have served the government as scouts
and traitors is because they happened to
hate their own kind just then little
wuss than they did the white man.
However, you want some of my own adj
ventures, and will give you one.
Before the days of railroads in the west
man who was spilin for an Indian fight
could get it within rifle shot OF Fort
Kearney, and this state of affairs contin-
ued up to 1866 and later. The last time
/ was captured was on the Smoky Hill
fork of the Kansas river, and it was while
the railroad was being pushed across the
state of Kansas. A railroad through the
Indian country meant goodby to game
and goodby to the Indian. The redskin
realized this as forcibly as the white man,
and he was on hand to fight the progress
of the road. He was foolish enough to
suppose that the killing off of few scouts
and SURVEYORS would stop all work, and
by the time the road was half way across
the state of Kansas every Indian who had
any patriotism about him was in front OF
il and doing battle. The contractors had
to employ great many scouts and tight
ers to protect the advance men, and was
one of those thus engaged. In the five
months of my employment killed thirty
nine Indians and brought thirty-nine
scalps to camp, and there were other
scouts who did as well, or better. We
did not lose near as many men in proper
ton, as we fought entirely on the de-
fensive, and had all the advantage
NV capture occurred one morning in
September. One of the engineers OF the
road had been on spree, and while verg-
ing on delirium tremens had left camp
and wandered off He had been gone
two or three hours before he was missed,
and at midnight of q rainy, gusty night
six of us started out on foot to hunt him
lid. Ajno one knew the direction he
had taken, each of us went his own way.
There were plenty of Indians around us,
and scout had been wounded that after
noon within half mile of our camp.
Each man of us who went out took big
chances of being captured, but there was
no hesitating or hanging back OH that ac-
count Our camp was close to the river,
and nv first move was to cross the
stream. The water was no more than
waist deep, and had no trouble IN reach
ing the other bank. The engineer, whose
name was Sewell, had gone off in his
shirt and trousers and boots. He was
bareheaded, out of his senses, and had
no weapons of any sort. My only hope
in finding him was that he would become
exhausted before going far, and sit down.
Once across the stream, held to the
north for about mile, and then turned
to the left and kept on until had de-
scribed quarter of a circle and come to
the river again. / then went back to
the starting point and bore to the right,
and il was while on my way to the river
that four Indians suddenly rose up from
the grass at my feet and seized me. l
can't say that was off my guard, but
IL did seem bit queer to me as thought
il over afterward that should have let
the skunks get such an advantage OF me.
could see fairly well for twenty feet
or more around me, but the fellows
Rugged the earth so closely, and hap
pened to walk so straight into the trap,
that was done for before l knew what
was going on. Not a yell was uttered
not word spoken. Two Of them tripped
me ND. and the other piled on to me and
disarmed me- and in less than minute
nv arms were ierked behind me and
made fast, and away we went to the
northwest on n trot. This was mann
tanned for about mile, when we came
upon party of fifty mounted redskins,
and in the midst of them found Sewell.
He was PROSTATE with exhaustion and
fear. and when l spoke to him, which
act the Indians seemed rather to encour-
age. he began crying and sobbing like a
child. was lifted up behind warrior
and off he went at a gallop, riding to
the west and keeping close to the river
until we had made at least fifteen miles.
Then we came upon an Indian village as
1t was growing daylight.
Nv feelings during that ride were any.
st,;,,s. l,,t ooraaahle / can assure YOU.